How do you have portion control?

cynthiaj777
cynthiaj777 Posts: 787 Member
edited September 20 in Motivation and Support
I've started gaining weight recently because I just can't control my portion sizes. People suggest eating 5-6 times a day. When I wasn't gaining weight, I was eating one really big meal for the day, but I've been trying to fit more meals in. Yet, I'm finding that instead of cutting calories from big meal and eating them at other times....I'm eating just as much as I was in the big meal, but multiple times a day, which is a HUGE calorie overload!

Joining this website has helped to an extent because I'm scaring myself when I look up foods and see how many calories I'm putting into my body. Yet, I don't think that is what will help me overall.

How do you have portion control?

Replies

  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member
    I've started gaining weight recently because I just can't control my portion sizes. People suggest eating 5-6 times a day. When I wasn't gaining weight, I was eating one really big meal for the day, but I've been trying to fit more meals in. Yet, I'm finding that instead of cutting calories from big meal and eating them at other times....I'm eating just as much as I was in the big meal, but multiple times a day, which is a HUGE calorie overload!

    Joining this website has helped to an extent because I'm scaring myself when I look up foods and see how many calories I'm putting into my body. Yet, I don't think that is what will help me overall.

    How do you have portion control?
    What I find works for me is to figure out how many meals work best for you 5-6 is what I usually figure on, most times 5. So then I take my calorie allotment for the day and divide it by that many meals so it's pretty equal in regards to calories at each meal.

    Eating more often mini meals or what ever you'd like to call them is a good way to keep your metabolism boosted and blood sugars level throughout the day. Energy sure stays up as well I find.

    Lots of variations of this from other members I'm sure. You sorta just have to find something that works for you. Preplanning on that type of meal eating is something pretty important. You're right eating one meal for the full day is not a good idea, Your body needs nutrion throughout the whole day.

    Eating every 2-3 hours is what I do and it works well for me. :flowerforyou:

    Good luck finding what's right for you and your body :)
  • jennylynn84
    jennylynn84 Posts: 659
    Preplanning might help with this. I eat 5 times a day usually. Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. My snacks are no more than 200 calories usually. Preplanning helps me because I know what I'm eating for dinner and how much. I made tacos the other day and I LOVE tacos. I could seriously have eaten way more. But I had done my math and figured on one soft and one crunchy. The end. Even down to how much cheese, sour cream (light), etc. I put on them. That way when I was done with those and I wanted another (and sure enough, I did) I would better be able to resist the urge to have it. Because I already KNOW for sure that I do not have the calories left.

    My biggest meal of the day is still my dinner/dessert combo. If you have one big meal, figure out those calories first and then plan backwards. If I want something more calorie rich for dinner, sometimes I have to take the hit and have no morning snack. Or I have to have a simple 90 calorie granola bar instead of my 170 calorie Planters NUTrition. But since I've already planned all that ahead of time, I already know.

    Give planning your whole food day ahead of time a whirl and see how it goes. (I also plan in treats, like a mini reeses or a skinny cow).
  • marthauchino
    marthauchino Posts: 9 Member
    Use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate and allow yourself to fill it only once. Eat lots of fiber and vegetables to fill you up. Read Jorge Cruise's book about eating every 3 hours. Drink lots of water. You may think you're hungry when really you're just dehydrated. Put your fork down between each bite of food and chew slowly and thoroughly. By the time you've finished the salad plate full, you shouldn't want any more food. Get rid of all high calorie, low nutrition foods in your house and don't allow yourself to buy any more. If you eat more nutritional foods, you shouldn't need as much.

    Changing eating habits may seem difficult at first, but, remember, it's a HABIT. You can develop new habits and be healthier and lose weight.

    Good luck!
  • acakeforawife
    acakeforawife Posts: 207
    Maybe try easing into the 6 meals a day thing? For me, in the beginning I found it really hard to give up my idea of how big a meal should be -- so I still only ate 2-3 meals, but that way they could be a little bigger (I had really low cal snacks if I needed them, like baby carrots, apples, low-fat yogurt, popcorn, etc.) Slowly I got more used to shrinking my meals and distributing the calories throughout the day. I don't think it's that reasonable to totally change how you eat overnight -- give yourself some time!! :smile:

    The other thing is to really pay attention to how hungry you are. Serve a smaller portion than you typically will, and eat then, then wait 20 minutes before you take any more. If you're truly still hungry, fair enough, have some more, but at least give yourself that window to see what happens.

    The other thing that works really well for me is to make naturally portion-controlled meals. The truth is I still don't do well with huge dishes like casseroles -- I always just keep eating more! But it works for me to make a small piece of chicken and a baked potato, for instance, because it's easier to see what the 'portion' is. Or I make a lot of wraps, omelettes, stirfries, etc, in single portions (or just exactly enough for me and my boyfriend.) If I do make a casserole, I try to take my portion (measured!) and then immediately portion the rest into tupperwares and put them in the fridge.

    Hope that helps!
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
    It's easy for me during the week. I pack what foods I'm going to bring with me for my meals and snacks and then that's what I eat. I measure everything too. If you only bring 2 hard-boiled eggs to work, you can't eat 4! :laugh:

    It's harder on the weekend, but I do still measure everything and log everything here. I think the measuring is what makes it portion control. Most people put too much on their plates to start with and then they eat everything that's on there whether they are hungry enough to or not.
  • raleighgoodwins
    raleighgoodwins Posts: 68 Member
    I was also in the habit of eating hardly anything during the day and then eating a huge dinner at night. My doctor sent me to a nutritionist and we worked on changing eating habits for one meal at a time.

    2 things helped me. the first was making a commitment to myself to lose weight because I wanted to not because my doctor was pushing me to. that really helped me with motivation and self-control.

    the 2nd thing that really helped me was something another member suggested - plan ahead! I found that if I had low calorie and delicious foods available to me that I would eat them. I started buying carrotts, celery, cucumbers and eating them as snacks - crunchy, refreshing, delicious. I also started stashing things in my drawer at work that I could have when I really needed a chocolate fix (Kellogg's antioxidant bars, oatmeal, sugar free pudding, soup, 100-calorie snack packs of cookies).

    Once I honestly started logging what I was eating and I saw the amount of calories and fat associated with them vs. the amount of calories and fat in my healthy snacks, I was able to stick with it because of the difference it made in what I was able to eat.

    Last but not least, my doctor recommended this foolproof diet plan, and I quote, "put on your plate the normal amount of food that you eat, then put half of it back, and I guarantee you will lose weight." And she was right.

    I know it's hard - the first couple of weeks are the WORST because you might feel really hungry a lot, but if you can make it through the first week then it gets easier after that. Good Luck!! I know you can do it!
  • cynthiaj777
    cynthiaj777 Posts: 787 Member
    I was also in the habit of eating hardly anything during the day and then eating a huge dinner at night. My doctor sent me to a nutritionist and we worked on changing eating habits for one meal at a time.

    2 things helped me. the first was making a commitment to myself to lose weight because I wanted to not because my doctor was pushing me to. that really helped me with motivation and self-control.

    the 2nd thing that really helped me was something another member suggested - plan ahead! I found that if I had low calorie and delicious foods available to me that I would eat them. I started buying carrotts, celery, cucumbers and eating them as snacks - crunchy, refreshing, delicious. I also started stashing things in my drawer at work that I could have when I really needed a chocolate fix (Kellogg's antioxidant bars, oatmeal, sugar free pudding, soup, 100-calorie snack packs of cookies).

    Once I honestly started logging what I was eating and I saw the amount of calories and fat associated with them vs. the amount of calories and fat in my healthy snacks, I was able to stick with it because of the difference it made in what I was able to eat.

    Last but not least, my doctor recommended this foolproof diet plan, and I quote, "put on your plate the normal amount of food that you eat, then put half of it back, and I guarantee you will lose weight." And she was right.

    I know it's hard - the first couple of weeks are the WORST because you might feel really hungry a lot, but if you can make it through the first week then it gets easier after that. Good Luck!! I know you can do it!

    I just broke up with a guy after 4 years, and he's moved on already with another woman, so it is DEFINITELY time for ME. I'm starting a diet and exercise regime, I'm getting clear braces soon and I'll be graduating within the year with my masters. I'm all about pleasing myself. I think I finally have the motivation to do it. You know when you get stuck in a routine (like a relationship) and you're comfortable (even with the fat). Well, NO MORE!

    I did feel hungry ALL day, and I mean like stomach growling and feeling like it is eating itself! Will that fade as my body gets used to my new eating habits? I sure hope so!

    Logging my food is what's helping me. I've been planning my meals a day ahead, so I'll know if I want that beer or ice cream, I'm going to have to go work out or cut back on something else! It has opened my eyes to how horrible I eat....especially when it comes to nutrients. I get almost 0 iron and fiber. I get like 3 times the amount of sodium I should. It has opened my eyes to how fatty the food is that I eat SOO much of! I was consuming on "fatty girl" days 3,000 calories of things like chinese, japanese and mexican food! How nasty!

    I think the advice your doctor gave you is wonderful! It made me laugh, but if you are sustaining your weight (which is higher than you want like me) or you are gaining weight slowly, there is NO WAY you won't lose weight if you eat half of what you normal do! It is a fool proof plan!

    I am in love with this site! I've had 3 friends join since I did YESTERDAY!
  • kwardklinck
    kwardklinck Posts: 1,601
    I try to balance each meal with a protein, a carb, a dairy, and a fruit or vegetable. Eating on smaller plates, eating really slowly, and drinking water or diet soda with my meal really helps too. I still enjoy food. I'm just eating less of it. You're going to feel hungry for a couple of weeks, until you get used to healthier eating. Carrot sticks are good to munch on because they're really low in calories and they fill you up. I also make sure I eat a side salad every day at lunch. I use low fat Italian dressing because it's only 35 cals a serving. The trick is finding the right combination of low calorie, low sodium, low fat foods that make you feel satisfied.
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